HP 3: Escaped Convict and Revealed Truths
by fictionfangirl1
Summary: PoA: It's Year 3 for the Golden Quartet; and infamous serial killer Sirius Black has escaped from the wizard prison, Azkaban, who is after Harry. Dementors are placed in Hogwarts and there is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Can Harry and co. get through this year? Also all things related to "Harry Potter" belong to J.K. Rowling (amazing woman!); OCs in here are mine.
1. Chapter 1

It was the last few weeks of summer break before school started back up. I couldn't believe it; I was going to be a Third Year with all of my British best friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Noting could ruin my mood…unless you count there bein' a criminal on the loose: the infamous murderer Sirius Black. Now, I don't exactly know what he was locked up for, but word's got it that he's the first one, ever, to break out of the wizard prison Azkaban. The shock of the news shook up the Ministry of Magic so much, that not only was his presence alerted in the Muggle news, it was also alerted to the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) in case he decided to hide overseas.

But enough hearsay about Black. I was at home with my parents and cousins Michael and Olivia, from Boston, who decided to visit. Once they saw Polaris deliver a couple of letters to my window, they were delighted and relieved that they didn't have to hide their wands from me. They were 16 and 18, respectively, and Oliva was graduating from Ilvermorny this year. I got to tell them all about my last two years at Hogwarts, save for all of the dangerous stunts we pulled, and how it was totally different from their school.

One of the letters I opened the letter, and could tell that it was from Hermione, with her neat, almost cursive-like handwriting. "Read it, Ez," Olivia said sitting on my bed while Michael stroked Polaris.

_Dear Ezra,_

_How has your summer been? I'm in Paris right now with my mum and dad, and it is an amazing city. I wish one of you were here with me. I got a letter from Ron, and I suppose you and Harry will get one from him as well._

No sooner had I read that paragraph did Michael jump to the window and asked me, "Hey, Ezra. Are you expecting another owl or a zigzagging missile?" "No, just Polaris… Unless this owl is muddy brown, looks old as dirt, and is ready to plotz in the next five seconds," I mused. "Pretty much," Michael replied. "That's Errol! Mikey, open the window!" I cried. He wasted no time and Errol made it through, but crashed into my dresser drawer, making Polaris screech in alarm. "Shh, calm down, Pol. It's just Errol. Ezra's here," I coaxed and opened his cage to settle him down. It took a few moments until he relaxed and pecked at my ear; he tended to do that when he was being affectionate. Then I picked up Errol and made sure he was okay.

"What in the world is that?" Olivia asked, pointing at the old owl. "This, is Errol, Ron's family owl. An' speakin' o' Ron…" I started and took the letter from Ron, which was clamped in Errol's beak, and set it to the side as I continued to read Hermione's message.

_Apparently, Percy has been promoted to Head Boy, I and can tell that it is driving Ronald mad. Also, Mr. Weasley entered himself into the Ministry's Grand Prize Galleon Draw, hoping to win some money for supplies and possibly a vacation. By the way, do you remember when Harry gave us his phone number on the train? Well, don't call him. Ron tried, and sort of wound up yelling into the phone, much to the ire of Harry's uncle._

I burst out laughin' at that. Michael and Olivia look at me like I lost my marbles. "My friend Harry gave us his phone number so we could call him. His aunt and uncle are No-Majs who, well, let's just say that magic ain't exactly welcome in their house." "What about his mom and dad?" Olivia asked. "…Liv, they died when Harry was a toddler, so he really doesn't remember them," I said somberly. Shock and sympathy were written across their faces until they realized who I was talking about. "Wait, so you are friends with _the _Harry Potter?!" Michael nearly shouted. "He's one of my best friends, yeah," I said, knowing where this was headed. That launch a boatload of questions from them, until finally, "The wizard who killed his parents, was he as bad as Grindelwald?" Michael asked in an unsure voice. "Prolly worse, if not as bad," I said.

"You said that his aunt and uncle are No-Majs, what were his parents?" Olivia asked. "His dad was a Pureblood and his mom was a No-Maj-born, making him a Half-blood." I said. "So why was his uncle upset at Ron?" Michael asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Ron comes from a pureblood family, so he doesn't exactly know how to use a phone very good," I said. "He pretty much shouted into the phone, spookin' the living daylights out of Harry's uncle and therefore warned us not to call Harry in case his uncle picks up again." Once they understood, they laughed along with me. "I guess we shoulda told 'im how to use a phone, huh?" I wondered. Mikey and Liv almost yelled at me in jest, _"You think?"_

_Do you have any idea of what you are getting Harry for his birthday? I'm sending him a Broomstick Servicing Kit for his Nimbus 2000. Anyways, Ron invited us to meet up with his family in Diagon Alley to go shopping. I hope you can make it. If not, we'll see you on the train._

_-Hermione_

"So, what are you getting him?" Michael asked me. "Not sure anymore. The idea of Quidditch gear flew out the window when 'Mione said she was getting him a servicing kit," I mused. "Kids, are you ready with your beach gear? Uncle Tyler is starting the car up!" Mom called us from downstairs. "We're coming, Aunt Diana!" Olivia shouted back. That gave me an idea for a birthday gift.

After our beach vacation, I packed an enchanted framed photo of the beach that I bought from a traveling wizard peddler for 2 Dragots (America's wizard money), a small cake my mom made, and my birthday card to Harry in a medium-sized box, as I was sure he had never been to the beach before. "Now, should I wait until we go to Diagon Alley or try and find a way for Polaris to send all of this stuff?" I wondered out loud. "Why don't you try Errol again?" Michael wondered. "Not a good idea, bro. He may be rested now, but who knows if Harry will get his present on time with that owl?" Olivia objected. Our answer came with a familiar screech. Harry's owl Hedwig came soaring in through the window and landed on a hanging bird perch I set up in my room. "Hedwig!" I said in joy. "Is this Harry's owl? She's very graceful and pretty," Olivia commented. The bird swelled up in pride and squawked at her in gratitude, while Polaris turned his head away from the scene. "Looks like someone's jealous of all the attention," Michael remarked. I went over to my owl's cage, took him out and replied, "Don't be like that; you're still the bird for me, honest." Polaris slowly turned his head back and hooted back at me. I stroked his feathers in reassurance and he pecked at my ear again. "I got it! Hedwig can send my gift to Harry, and then Polaris can help guide Errol back to Ron's." Michael helped me put the finishing touches to the box and stamped a "FRAGILE" sign on the front. "Are they ready for a flight back to England?" Olivia wondered. Both owls ruffled their feathers and gave an affirmative hoot. "Pol's used to this kind o' trip, and Hedwig's never backed down from a challenge." Both owls hooted their agreement and went off to their given destinations. The second letter Polaris delivered came from Hogwarts, a bit thicker than usual and it read:

_Dear Miss Redcreek,_

_Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross Station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o' clock._

_Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission slip for your parent or guardian to sign._

_A list of books for next year is enclosed._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Professor M. McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Two weeks later, my Uncle Lionel and Aunt Artemis (they were wizards too) came over with their 9-year-old son, Elias who showed signs of magic at a very early age, and was due to go to Ilvermorny in a couple of years. He was curious about Hogwarts as I was curious about Ilvermorny. I asked Mikey and Liv about it while we were at the beach.

We went to the local skate park when his curiosity sparked out of control and asked me all he could, "Ezra, what's Hogwarts like? Do you get sorted like Ilvermorny? How big is the castle? What are the teachers like?" "Woah, slow down. One at a time, kid," I said before answering him. "I'm not a kid! I'm almost 10," he said indignantly. "When you turn 12, I'll stop calling ya a kid, kid," I replied in jest with him huffing in response. "Okay, I'm sorry, Eli. Hogwarts is like…the biggest castle I seen in my life, and its full o' ghosts, living portraits, enchanted staircases, and secret passageways." "Really?" he said with interest at the mention of secret passageways. "Uh-huh. I can't tell ya how many Fred and George showed me." "Who are they?" Elias asked. "They're a couple o' friends of mine. They're Hogwarts best prankster twins ever. You'd like 'em." "What else is at Hogwarts? Dragons, unicorns?" he wondered. "They teach about every magical creature you can think of and its really traditional, not like Ilvermorny," I explained. "In fact me, Hermione, Harry, and Ron are taking that class when we go back." "Who's your favorite teacher?" "I couldn't tell ya for sure. We got Professor McGonagall, who can turn herself into a cat and teaches Transfiguration, and Professor Flitwick, who teaches us useful charms." "Cool!" Elias awed. "Yeah, most of the teachers there, they're cool," I agreed, but couldn't help but whisper under my breath, "'Cept for that jagoff, Snape, who always seems to have a stick up his ass, 'specially towards us Gryffindors." Unfortunately, I forgot that Eli was sitting right next to me and gasped "Oooh, you used a cuss word! I'm telling Aunt Diana!" "Oh yeah? Then I'mma tellin' Uncle Lionel that you scratched his favorite record, and took Aunt Artemis's wand and almost broke it," I shot back. That shut him up good. "Okay, I won't tell! Hey, Esa, can you tell me more about Hogwarts?" He hadn't called me "Esa" since he was little, and to hear that again felt good. "Sure Eli. Whatdya wanna know?"

About a week after Eli and his family visited, me and my parents Floo Powdered to the Leaky Cauldron where we met up with Ron's family and Hermione a couple hours later. I went with Hermione to the pet store 'cause she wanted an animal of her own. After searching what seemed to be the whole place, she finally chose a fluffy, ginger cat named Crookshanks, that no one seemed to want and had probably been holed up in the shop for years. Of course, that didn't sit well with Ron and immediately after he saw it, Crookshanks leapt from Hermione's arms and chased after Scabbers. It took a good 20 minutes of hide and seek looking for those two animals until I heard the patter of little paws scamperin' towards my feet. I saw Scabbers headed my way, so I picked him up and stashed him in my hoodie pocket. Crookshanks trailed behind me and I made my way to two of my best friends, who were in a clear heated argument with each other.

"Where is he?! Your bloody cat probably is strutting around proud that he ate Scabbers," Ron cried out. "Ron, calm down. Ez went to go and find him, and don't blame Crookshanks!" Hermione retorted. "Did someone say my name?" I called out. "Look, I see Ezra with the beast, but no Scabbers!" Ron pointed at the cat as if it were a murderer. Hermione huffed and turned away, holding Crookshanks. "Ron, as someone who ain't never had an animal until my owl, keep an eye on your pet, for everyone's sake," I groaned as I pulled Scabbers from my pocket. "Scabbers! Ezzy, you're the best!" Ron shouted in joy and hugged me. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just keep track where he is next time, alright? And quit callin' me Ezzy! I already got the twins doin' that, stupid as it is," I responded, slightly miffed at the dumb pet name Fred and George dubbed me with.

Ron switched his gaze from me to Hermione and put an upset face on. "I'm warning you, Hermione! Keep that bloody beast away from Scabbers, or I'll turn it into a tea cozy!" He snapped at her. "It's a cat, Ronald. What do you expect? It's in his nature," Hermione defended her cat. "A cat? Is that what they told you? Looks more like a pig with hair to me," Ron asked in shock. "That's rich, coming from the owner of _that _smelly old shoebrush," Hermione shot back. "Ezra, explain to Ronald that it's perfectly natural for cats to chase rodents," she turned to me. "Ez, tell Hermione how that hairy beast has it out for Scabbers," Ron pleaded. _Where's Harry when I need 'im?_ "Ron, it's a simple, known fact that cats chase after rats and other rodents; been that way since the dawn o' time. However, Crookshanks does seem to have an hankerin' for Scabbers, and no other mice. Ain't that somethin'…" I said, trying to ease the feud. "That's right Crookshanks. You just ignore the mean, little boy," Hermione said softly to her cat. "Y'all two are impossible!" I said, frustrated. "Harry!" Ron suddenly piped up, looking up at the staircase behind me. "Harry!" Hermione and I said. All of us were happy to see our other best friend and gave each other hugs.

We all sat down at one of the tables in the dining area and Ron showed us a newspaper article about his family on the front cover of the _Daily Prophet_. Mr. Weasley had won the Ministry Galleon Drawing and the entire family went to Egypt over the summer; and Ron got a new wand to replace his broken one from last year. "Egypt? What's it like?" Harry asked intrigued.

"Brilliant. It's got loads of old stuff like mummies and tombs. Even Scabbers enjoyed himself," Ron said. "You guys got to go inside the pyramids?" I asked with awe. "Yeah, my oldest brother Bill works as a curse breaker for Gringotts over there and gave us a tour of the capital, Cairo, and some of the pyramids" Ron explained. "Awesome, it must have been cool to see the pharaoh's burial room and all the spells written in hieroglyphics on the wall!" I mused. Hermione decided to jump in, "Speaking of the ancient Egyptians, you know they used to worship cats." "Yeah, along with the _dung beetle_," Ron retorted, still sore about Scabbers and Crookshanks. "Alright, you two. Calm down, no need for hostility," I stood up.

Suddenly the newspaper was snatched from Ron's hands. "Not flashing that clipping again, are you, Ron?" George asked with Fred following behind him. "I haven't shown it to anyone," Ron tried to deny. "Oh, no. Not a soul…Unless you count Tom," Fred pointed out. "The day maid," George added. "The night maid." "The cook." "That bloke who fixed the toilets." "And the wizard from Belgium." "And you say you ain't told nobody," I commented with Ron glaring at me to be quiet. "Hey! There's our favorite Yankee!" the twins grinned and hugged me from behind, which I wasn't expecting. I was so glad they couldn't see my face, especially since I was blushing a bit 'cause I was being held more by Fred than George. "We missed you and your accent, right Freddie?" George asked his twin. "Hmm? Oh yeah, we did," Fred replied after a beat. _I really hope no one saw that, _I heard an inside-voice for a split-second that sounded like Fred, but shrugged it off.

I saw Mr. Weasley chatting with my dad and my mom talking to Hermione about her extra classes. Mrs. Weasley came up and hugged me, "Ezra! So good to see you, dearie!" "Hello, Mrs. Weasley, ma'am," I said. "Ready for the new term?" she asked. "Uh-huh, should be interestin' this year," I replied. "_Nerd,_" Fred and George fake coughed loud enough for me to hear. "I don' wanna hear that from either of ya, 'cause with the stunts y'all pull, it's a miracle that you two made it to 5th year, skatin' by," I retorted rollin' my eyes. "You two should take a page out of her book," Mrs. Weasley warned the twins, gave me a gentle pat on my shoulder, and walked off to find Harry. _Brown-noser, _this time I heard George's inside-voice. "How do you do that? Get parents to love you like you're a part of the family?" he asked me in amazement. "I have that charm, unlike y'all" I bragged, pulling on imaginary suspenders. Fred retaliated with, "Prat." "Aw c'mon, don't be like that. Please? Y'all are still my favorite twins," I conceded, slightly pouting. "Are we?" they asked in unison. "Now and forever," I promised. "Well, we can't say no to our favorite Yankee, can we Georgie?" Fred asked his twin in mock pondering. George agreed, "No, I suppose not, if we are her favorites." "Y'all are the best!" I rejoiced and hugged them before I went over to talk to Ginny.

The week leading up to school went by faster than I thought because before I knew it, it was September 1st again. Dad borrowed a car provided by the Ministry and we got to King's Cross in record time. "Now Ezra, I don't want to get another letter from Hogwarts saying how you and your friends got into some major trouble. It was bad enough with the Sorcerer's stone fiasco and the incident with the Chamber of Secrets. Is that clear?" Mom stressed. _Who knows whether you'll be sent back home in a wheelchair or worse? _I heard her fuss even more in her head. "Yes, _mother_. I heard you the first 10 times," I replied, slightly annoyed. "Hey, don't go sass-mouthin' yer ma. Just don't do nothing dangerous and be good," Dad added. "Okay, okay," I conceded. "Good girl. And don't go talkin' to no boys, ya hear?" "Uh, Dad, you realize that includes Ron and Harry, right?" I protested. "Well they're okay, but stay away from boys Fourth Year and older. Got it?" he rephrased, although the condition wasn't that much better. "Really Tyler, she's going to be with other boys her age and older. You can't just forbid her from meeting them," Mom stated. "I can when I wan' my baby to stay little for a while longer," Dad replied stubbornly. "Daddy!" I protested. "What your father's _trying_ to say is…don't do anything reckless and stay on top in class," Mom translated. "I can try," I pledged. "Good, that's all we need to hear," she finished. They gave me their last minute goodbyes and I went through the barrier to meet my friends, while contemplating the head-voices I heard throughout the day.

On the train, Harry told us about how his Aunt Marge came for a visit and started badmouthing his parents, which ended up with him blowing her up in anger, using accidental magic. This sent me and Ron into a laughing fit with Hermione shaking her head in disbelief. "I didn't mean to blow her up, I just sort of…lost control," he said defending himself. "Y'know, if you did that back home, MACUSA would write you up a minor warning and just leave it," I commented. "What-USA?" Harry asked. "MA-CUSA: the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Think of it as the States' version of the Ministry, only less strict," I explained and he understood. "Bloody brilliant," Ron commented. "Honestly, Ron, that's not funny. Harry was lucky not to be expelled," Hermione admonished. "I think I was lucky not to be _arrested_, actually," Harry rephrased. "Let's try this one. Ain't no more room in the other cars," I said pointing to a nearby space. We sat down in a compartment where a man was sitting in the corner fast asleep. "Who do you reckon that is?" Ron asked and Hermione answered right away, "Professor R. J. Lupin." "You know everything! How does she know everything?" Ron objected. "Look at his suitcase, Ron. _Doy!_" I pointed out. "Oh." "D'you think he's asleep?" Harry asked. "Seems to be, why?" Hermione replied. "I've got to tell you something," Harry said as he closed the sliding door.


	2. Chapter 2

The sky turned dark on our way to Hogwarts, and the sun soon disappeared behind ominous rain clouds. The weather seemed to fit the mood of what Harry told us. "So let me get this straight. Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban to come after you?" Ron asked. "Yeah," Harry answered. "But they'll catch Black, won't they?" Hermione wondered. "Sooner or later, they hafta. If the Ministry and Muggles don't, then the Congress is bound to spot him. 'Cause everybody's lookin' for him," I reasoned. "Sure, except…no one's ever broken out of Azkaban before…and he's a murderous, raving lunatic," Ron said. "Thanks, Ron," Harry sardonically said, his best friend's comment made him feel _that_ much better.

A split second later, the train slowed to a sudden halt. "Why are we stopping? We can't be there yet," Hermione asked. "What's going on?" Ron almost shrieked. "Don't know maybe we've broken down," Harry suggested. "Ouch, Ron! That was my foot!" Hermione exclaimed as the lights went out. "There's something moving out there," Ron shuddered as he gazed outside. Time seemed to drag on as more and more lights went out on the train. "I think…someone's coming aboard," Ron whispered as the train gave a huge, sudden lurch. Not a second later, the temperature suddenly started to drop. "God Almighty, is it me, or did it suddenly jus' get cold in here?" I asked, shivering and teeth chattering. Hermione's breath could be seen in wisps and you could hear the crackle of frost forming on the window and nearby water bottle. "Bloody hell! What's happening?!" Ron shouted, somehow not waking up Professor Lupin, who was still asleep next to Harry. We looked the compartment door, and saw a heavily, black-cloaked figure practically gliding on air. It undid the latch locking the door and slid it open, revealing gnarled, bony fingers and sharp claws, all belonging to a hand, made of decaying flesh. Crookshanks hissed at it, and Scabbers squeaked and hid in Ron's jacket. The figure was heavily breathing and seemed to set its gaze on Harry.

Harry sorta looked like he was having a mini seizure, wriggling around and grunting in effort while the hooded creature breathed heavily. Then the professor set to wake up with a start and pointed his wand at the creature. A powerful blinding light came from the wand's tip and it made the creature back away, leaving Harry alone to turn stiff and pass out on the seat.

"Harry…. Harry," Hermione called when the creature was gone and all was calm. He slowly woke up and slightly moaned from exhaustion. I handed him his glasses and he gratefully took them. "Here, eat this. It'll help. Don't worry, it's chocolate" Professor Lupin handed Harry a couple of brown square pieces. "What was that?" he asked. "It was a Dementor, one of the guards of Azkaban, no doubt looking for Sirius Black. Eat, you'll feel better," the professor said before leaving our car to talk to the train conductor.

Harry took a bite of the professor's chocolate, and it brought back some of the color back to his face. "What happened?" he wondered about what went on when he blacked out. "Well, you sort of went rigid. Like you were having a fit or something," Ron answered. "And did any of you, y'know, pass out?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head "no". "We didn't but, when that Dementor was here, it felt like everything around us, even the air, it all got cold," I noted. "Yeah, I thought I'd never be cheerful again," Ron added. "But there was someone screaming… a woman," Harry said. "Harry, no one was screaming," Hermione said.

It was still raining heavily when the train stopped in Hogsmeade station. The carriages that 2nd years and older took had covers on them to protect us from the rain. Before we were seated, Professor McGonagall had called Hermione and Harry over to take them to the Hospital Wing for Madam Pomfrey to check them out. "Redcreek and Weasley, you can move along into the Great Hall. Your friends are not in trouble," she assured. "What do you suppose McGonagall wants to see them for?" Ron wondered. "Coulda been when the Dementor came on the train and almost knocked Harry unconscious. Professor Lupin musta mentioned it," I mused. "Let's go then, they must be starting the feast," Ron said. "You do realize that they have to do the First-Year Sorting and there's a performance from Flitwick's choir before they bring out the food, right?" I mentioned. "Oh, no!" Ron cried. "This is what happens when you and Harry take a flyin' car to school and almost get killed by a territorial tree," I muttered. "You're still going on about that? That was last year!" Ron argued. "Honey, I'll hold it over y'all's heads even after we're rollin' in the grave," I warned creepily. _She's completely mental_, Ron said in his mind. "I am not mental!" I said indignantly. "Did you just read my mind?" he asked in surprise. "Did I? I just heard you call me crazy, but you didn't speak it. _Freaky!_" I said, slightly shocked.

Then Ron's stomach gave a huge growl, reminding us that it would be a while until his appetite would be satisfied. "Ron, if it makes you feel any better, I'm hungry too. So hopefully there ain't a lot of First-Years and the choir doesn't take too long," I slightly complained, rubbing my own stomach in response. "Let's hope," Ron agreed and we rushed to the Great Hall.

The sorting ceremony went on as usual, and Professor Flitwick's choir sang a song that had the famous witches' incantation from Shakespeare's _Macbeth_. Right as the choir finished Hermione and Harry seemed to appear out of nowhere next to us. "Where were y'all?" I asked. Hermione was about to answer, but Professor Dumbledore stepped up to his podium and raised his hands. "Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts! Now I would like to say a few words, before we become too befuddled by our excellent feast," Professor Dumbledore announced. "I'm pleased to welcome Professor R. J. Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck, professor!" At this, our new professor stood up and gave a half way bow while nodding, and sat back down. Everyone applauded for him in respect. "Of course! That's why he knew to give you the chocolate, Harry," Hermione noted.

"Potter…Potter!" a voice the four of us dreaded hearing whispered. Ron and Harry turned around to see what Malfoy wanted. "Is Longbottom telling the truth? I mean, you actually fainted?" he asked in glee as one of his housemates mocked-fainted next to him. "Shove off, Malfoy," Ron warned before turning himself and Harry back to facing me and Hermione. "Just forget it," Hermione whispered. "What y'all's word for a person like him? Fred taught it to me… oh yeah, that _tosser_," I commented. "Good one," Harry commented and high-fived me. We turned our attention back to Dumbledore's speech. "…now our Care of Magical Creatures for many years, has decided to retire, in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I am delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own, Rubeus Hagrid." Most of the houses cheered for Hagrid when he stood up. Seamus and I whistled our approval for him before the Hall settled down.

"And finally, on a more disquieting note, at the request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban, until Sirius Black is capture. The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds," the headmaster continued. There were whispers all around about the presence of the Dementors and Sirius Black. "Now whilst I have been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution…" Then his voice got real low and foreboding. "Dementors are vicious creatures. They will not distinguish between the one they hunt, and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, I must warn _each and every one of you_, give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving. But you know, happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times…when one only remembers to turn on the light," he finished by magically putting out and reigniting a candle on his podium.

Then he said the magic words that we were all waiting for, "Let the feast, begin." "Oh, finally!" I exclaimed with Ron agreeing with his mouth full of food he was stuffing in his mouth. I gathered a baked potato, some pasta, and even had some authentic fish and chips. One of the new First-Years sat next to me. "Hi, I'm Ezra Redcreek. What's your name?" I asked. She extended her hand and said, "I'm Mackenzie Reynolds. What year are you?" "I'm a 3rd Year," I said. "Is your whole family magical?" "Uh-uh, my mom's a witch and my dad's a No-Maj." "A what?" "Right, use the English version, Ez. No-Maj is what we call Muggle in America," I explained. "Oh, does it mean anything?" "It's short for Non Magical, And I'm guessin' you's a No-maj-born?" "That's right. By the way, the way you talk is interesting," she noticed. "I've been told. _Should I start sounding like this more often?_" I jokingly asked in an exaggerated British voice. That made her laugh, and she said, "No, but keep trying, you almost have it." "So, what classes are you looking forward to, Mackenzie?" I wondered. "Transfiguration, Maybe Charms, and Astronomy," she said. "Good, 'cause the classes here are very engaging," I said. "What? Freddie, don't tell me our favorite Yankee is fibbing to an innocent First-Year?" George called down from his spot at the table. "It can't be. I thought we raised you better, Ezzy," Fred chimed in, shaking his head in mock shame. "Oh, hush you two. Don't confuse her," I said, covering her ears and turning back to her. "Don't listen to them jokers, they'll lead ya astray," I rolled my eyes at them. "But you still love us!" the twins said in unison. "That's debatable," I mumbled and added, "_However, they are the best pranksters ever to walk the halls of Hogwarts_," finishing with another attempt at a British accent. "Not bad, Ezzy darling," Fred commented. "Are they hard, the classes?" Mackenzie asked. "At first, everythin' may be confusing, but I promise it gets easier with time and practice. A bunch of kids here start off not knowing how to do spells, but you'll pick it up," I said. "I hope I don't mess up," she said. "You'll be fine. And there's a lot of people here you can make friends with. I mean, look at me, I'm friends with those two knuckle-headed twins over there, Redhead, Four Eyes, 'n Ms. Brainiac over here," pointing to my best friends next to me. "Oi!" Ron exclaimed. "Look who's talking, Shrimp," Harry jabbed back at me. Hermione just rolled her eyes, but smiled in agreement. "Aw, shaddup," I rolled my eyes at him. I talked to Mackenzie and some of her new friends from the train for a little bit longer when the desserts appeared and directed her to the Gryffindor Prefect while the rest of us went to go talk to Hagrid for a little while.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione beamed. "'Twas Dumbledore's idea. Still can't believe meself…he came down to me hut an' asked me if I wanted the job after Professor Kettleburn had enough…great man, Dumbledore," Hagrid explained and was very excited. "Can't wait for our first class with you, Professor Hagrid," I said. "Aw, shucks," Hagrid went red in the face a little bit. Then McGonagall shooed us away to go to our dorms.

The staircase leading to one of the hallways switched its position and led us straight to Gryffindor Tower, where the Fat Lady picture was guarding the entrance. "Fortuna Major," Seamus said the password. She didn't even hear him and was attempting to sing high opera notes in order to shatter a glass she was holding. "She won't let me in," Seamus complained. "Fortuna Major," Harry tried again. "Wait, wait! Watch this," the Fat Lady objected before trying to break the glass again, but this time, she practically shrieked the notes out in a tone-deaf way! Seamus, Harry, Dean, Neville, Ron, and I had to cover our ears so we wouldn't go deaf from her screeching, as well as the nearby pictures. In a desperate, but obvious way, she broke the glass against the column behind her. "Amazing, just my voice!" she boasted. "You wish!" I muttered under my breath and added, "Now for the last time, Fortuna Major!" "Yes alright, go in," she huffed, letting us through. "Crazy woman," I said, loud enough for her to hear before she could shut the door on me. I rushed up to the room that I shared with the Patil twins, Hermione, and Lavender that was labeled "Third Years." I got ready for bed as fast as humanly possible, stroked Polaris as a goodnight gesture, with him pecking at my ear as to say goodnight, and fell in to a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I got up the next morning with the annual wake-up call from Hermione. _One of these days, I'mma get you back, Hermione!_ I warned in my head. Reluctantly, I groaned and dramatically rolled out of bed. I rubbed my eyes to see her rushing to get everyone in our dorm up. "Hermione, this has got to stop. Do ya have to do it so early?" I muttered. "Yes, because we all overslept. Breakfast is in half an hour-" she stressed. "What?!" Lavender, Parvati, Padma, and I yelled. The rest of us rushed to the bathroom for showering, brushing our teeth, getting dressed and gathering our books. I was the first one ready with Hermione and we sped down the staircase. Surprisingly, Ron and Harry were waiting for us with smug looks on their faces. "Well, this is a first. We're here before you two," Ron commented. "What took you so long?" Harry added. Hermione rolled her eyes at them. "I'mma give you five seconds, matter of fact, make it four seconds, before you two catch the back of my hand," I warned with a teasing voice stomped towards them. That got them up and out of the portrait hole _really quick_. "Must you be so violent with them?" Hermione asked as we walked down to the Great Hall. "Hey, it gets the job done, don't it?" I replied. "Should I ask why your bag looks like it is about to bust open at any second?" I wondered looking down at her book bag. "No," she said with such conviction.

The Great Hall was abuzz with students eating and chatting before classes started. Over at the Slytherin table, you could see Malfoy entertaining his housemates with an overdramatic retelling of Harry's encounter with the Dementor and they all roared with laughter. "That boy is the definition of pathetic," I said as I sat down next to Ron. "Yeah, well tell that to his crowd," Harry mused. Fred and George walked by and asked why Harry looked so down. Ron pointed out the Slytherin table and they had their answer. "That little git. He wasn't so cocky when the Dementors came by our section of the train, right Fred?" George said. "Right, he nearly wet himself," Fred said. "Well, we'll just hafta see how happy Malfoy is after we stomp Slytherin in the first Quidditch game of the season," I mused. "That's the spirit, Ezzy darling," George agreed in delight and Fred ruffled my hair. "What have I told you about callin' me Ezzy?" I groaned. "Just let them go. They won't listen to you no matter how many times you tell them to stop," Hermione said, and reluctantly, I had to agree with her. McGonagall passed out our schedules for the year. "I'll see you guys in Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid," I said, starting to gather my bag. "Why?" Harry asked. "'Cause instead of Divination, I'm taking Ancient Runes," I said. "What made you change your mind from taking Divination?" Hermione asked. "It didn't seem too interesting-" I started until Hermione cut me off, "Don't tell me you still believe those Muggle fortune tellers on the street." "It's kinda hard not to, they're really convincing, okay?" I defended, getting a little embarrassed. _Utter rubbish! _I heard a head-voice that belong to Hermione. "They are not," I muttered and Hermione looked at me like I was crazy. "Ron, Harry, let's get going. Classes start really soon, and Divination is in the North Tower," she mentioned after a beat. We all said bye to each other and they headed up to the North Tower while I went the opposite way into the eastern wing of the castle.

The first day of Ancient Runes was exciting and riveting. Professor Babbling had us use our textbooks to translate scrolls of antique spells from the Middle Ages. That class happened to go by faster than I expected, and I knew that it was a bit of a ways from Ancient Runes to Hagrid's cabin for Care of Magical Creatures. In my hurry, I didn't pay attention to where I was headed and ran into someone from behind. "I'm so sorry 'bout that!" I apologized, checking to see if anything fell to the floor. "No worries," a male voice said, bending down to pick up his book. He stood up straight and I took in the sight of him. This boy was wearing a yellow and black necktie and crest on his robe, signifying that he belonged to Hufflepuff. He was good head and a half taller than me, with alluring hazel eyes and dirty blonde hair to complement them. He had fair skin with a few freckles adorably placed by his eyes. Judging from those features, I would have guessed that he was either a Fifth Year or Sixth Year. "Are you alright?" he asked. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding until I said, "Yeah, thank you. But the question should be, are _you_ alright?" "I'm fine, thanks," he said. "Where are you headed?" "Care of Magical Creatures. You?" I said. "Potions," he replied. "Ugh, good luck with bein' in the same room as Snape," I said, my voice laced with teasing sarcasm. "Thanks," he replied back in the same manner and asked "Are you from America?" "Is it that obvious?" I asked in exasperation and he nodded. "I am. Hell, you'd think that after being here for a couple of years, I woulda picked up a British voice," I joked and that got him to laugh. His laughter made my stomach fill up with butterflies. "May I ask what your name is, fair one?" he said in an exaggerated posh voice. I giggled and returned the posh style, "Tis Ezra Redcreek. And you, dashing sir?" "Connor Asher; good luck in Magical Creatures," he said before walking towards a near hallway. "Same to you in Potions!" I wished back and waved to him, my face splitting into a huge grin. Little did I know that Fred and George were right behind me and decided to take advantage of my quick reverie. "What's this, Freddie? What's the matter with our little Ezzy?" George asked in mock surprise. Fred pretended to ponder and declared, "She's spacing out; she's going mental. Maybe we should transport her pretty self to the Hospital Wing," and he started to drag me towards them. "Knock it off, you two! I'm fine. Just let me go to class," I said swatting their hands away and rushing to Hagrid's before I was late and before they could see the blush spreading across my face from talking to Connor. _Wait…did Fred just call me pretty?_ I thought for a split second, but put the thought out of my head.

I went outside the castle to meet Ron, Harry, and Hermione for Care of Magical Creatures. "What took you so long?" Harry asked. "I got held up," I said quickly, and apparently a bit suspicious for Hermione and she gave me a look, "What happened?" "Nuthin' major, I'll tell ya about him later" I said in a hushed tone. "_Him_? You met a boy?" Hermione repeated in surprise. _Shoot! I did say "him", didn't I? Nice goin' dork, _I mentally berated myself and blushed. "Well, yes, but..." "Tell me all of the details," she whispered in joy. "_Later,_" I emphasized, "Now, what happened in Divination?" On the way down the hill, they told me about Harry having an image of the Grim, which was a large spectral dog, in his tea leaves. It was supposed to be a dark omen of death. "You don't think that Grim's got anything to do with Sirius Black, do you?" Ron wondered in slight fear. "It's a possibility. He is an infamous serial killer, and the Grim means death…" I was thinking out loud. "Oh, honestly, Ron, if you ask me, Divination's a very woolly subject. Now, Ancient Runes; that's a fascinating subject," Hermione said. "Wait, that can't be right, 'cause I woulda seen you in Ancient Runes just a little while ago," I paused. "How many extra classes are you takin' this year?" "A fair few," she answered. "Ez is right, that's not possible. Ancient Runes is at the same time as Divination. You'd have to be in two classes at once," Ron theorized. "Don't be silly, Ron. How could anyone be at two classes at once?" Hermione scoffed at this and proceeded to mock Professor Trelawney, "Broaden your minds, use your inner eye to see the future!"

"Right, gather round ev'ryone! Less talking if you don't mind. I've got a real treat fer yeh, a great lesson! Follow me," Hagrid announced and he led us to a clearing in the Forbidden Forest. "Form a group, over there, and open your books to page 49," he instructed. Malfoy, in all his arrogant glory, asked in a snarky voice, "Exactly how do we do that?" "Just stroke the spine, o'course. Goodness me," Hagrid replied, annoyed by his attitude. We all started to stroke the spine of our monster books, however some were having more difficulty than others. I guess Neville didn't hear Hagrid, because he tried to open the book without stroking its spine, and the book snapped and bit at him. "Don't be such a wimp, Longbottom," Malfoy jeered at his misfortune. "I'm okay. I'm okay," Neville panted, but the book went back to attacking him. "Nev, let me get that for you," I said and watched where I placed my hands, so as not to get bit by the book's sharp teeth. I clamped one of my hands on the bottom part and stroked the spine with two fingers. Immediately, the book calmed down and opened up normally. "Thanks, Ezra," Neville gratefully wheezed out. "You're supposed to stroke it," Ron reminded him and Neville nodded in understanding.

As I stroked my own book and set it down on a nearby stone, Hermione sardonically replied, "I think they're funny." "Oh yeah, terribly funny; real witty. God, this place has gone to the dogs! Wait until my father hears about this, Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes," Malfoy said, with Crabbe and Goyle laughing in agreement. "Do us all a favor, 'n shut your trap," I muttered under my breath. I guess Harry heard me, spoke up, and walked towards him saying, "Shut up, Malfoy." Malfoy and some other Slytherins sauntered to him and the boys had a stare off for a good 10 seconds before Malfoy got a frightened look on his face. "D-D-Dementor! Dementor!" he shouted and pointed behind us. We turned around immediately, but they had tricked us, 'cause there was nothing. Turning back around, we saw that Malfoy and his gang were laughing at our brief gullibility, put their hoods up, and made spooky moans, which imitated the cloaked figures themselves. Hermione and Ron turned us back to Hagrid, but not before she made a face at them. _Ooh, that boy is the __worst__, man! I wish someone would set him straight._ I quickly gave them a quick bird flipping in response and paid attention to our professor's creature presentation.

"Dun-duh-duh-daaaa!" Hagrid sang in a presentation style, and out from the trees came a gray creature. The top half had an eagle's head and wings; while the bottom half was a horse's body and legs. "Ain't he beautiful? Say hello to Buckbeak," Hagrid praised and tossed him a dead, furry animal that he ate. "Hagrid, what exactly is that?" Ron asked in bewilderment. "That, Ron, is a hippogriff," Hagrid answered and continued with, "First thing you wannna to know about hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures, very easily offended. You do _not_ want to insult a hippogriff. It may just be the last thing yeh ever do. Now, who'd like to come up an' say hello?" Everyone stepped back, leaving Harry in the front. I was initially wary, but decided to step up, a bit behind Harry. Hermione and Ron looked at me like I was crazy. Hagrid turned around and saw us. "Well done, Harry. You too, Ezra. Now, yeh have to let 'im make the first move, it's only polite. Then you move and give 'im a nice bow," Hagrid directed. "Then you two wait and see if he bows back. If he does, you two can go up an' touch him; if not…well, we'll get to that later." Harry slowly walked towards Buckbeak and stopped. "Go on, make yer bow," Hagrid said. Harry bowed and eyed the hippogriff. Buckbeak eyed him back and started to caw loudly. "Back off, Harry. Back off!" Hagrid warned. Harry did and I started to feel worried for him. "Keep still," Hagrid instructed. Buckbeak still stared at Harry, but then slowly bowed back at him until his head almost touched the ground. "Well done, Harry. Well done. Now Ezra can have a go," Hagrid said. I nodded and walked towards Buckbeak, who switched his gaze over to me and started to flare his wings. After about 3 steps, Hagrid gently said, "Not so fast, Ezra. A little slowly." I decreased my speed and took two more steps before bowing, keeping my gaze on Buckbeak. The hippogriff looked me for a good five seconds and took two steps to me before he bowed back. "Nice recovery, Ezra. Now you two can go up an' pet him," Hagrid said.

We walked slowly together and Harry held his hand out, but flinched when Buckbeak snapped at us. "Not so fast, now let 'im come to you two," Hagrid instructed. Eventually Buckbeak stepped towards us as we inched closer and Harry stroked his beak and I touched his face. "Well done. Oh, well done!" Hagrid clapped for us. Everyone behind us applauded as well. "I think he may let yeh ride 'im, now," Hagrid proposed. "What?" Harry asked. "Did he just say…?" I wondered. Then Hagrid picked us up, with Harry protesting, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Hagrid!" "What the heck?!" I shouted. "Don't pull out any o' his feathers. He won't thank you fer that," Hagrid said and slapped Buckbeak to get him to go. Harry clung onto the hippogriff's neck, and I put my arms around Harry's middle. Buckbeak sprinted into a run and flapped his large, powerful wings to get us airborne.

Buckbeak's sudden takeoff was surprising, to say the least, and I was clinging on to my best friend for dear life. Buckbeak took us around the castle and high up in the air. My adrenaline started spiking up and I felt excited when I looked down from our position in the sky. Buckbeak dove close down to the Black Lake. He glided over the water and let his talons graze the surface. It was so calming and thrilling at the same time. Harry decided to be bold and hold his arms out. I leaned towards the water and swept my fingers over the surface like Buckbeak did. We were both hollerin' and screaming in delight. "This is amazing!" I yelled in happiness. "Having fun back there?" Harry asked me. "Uh-huh! I bet it's a great view from the front," I replied. "It is! This is better than riding a broom!" he said. I laughed in agreement and let out a few more whoops of excitement. Buckbeak suddenly flew upwards and back to the forest clearing, enough time for us to steady ourselves. Buckbeak landed in front of Hagrid after another minute in the air. "Well done, Harry and Ezra! And, well done, Buckbeak!" Hagrid praised. Everyone, sans Malfoy, cheered for us. After Hagrid helped us down from Buckbeak, he asked us, "So, um, how am I doin' me first day?" "Brilliant, Professor!" Harry said. "Best class I ever had!" I added. Hagrid just smiled and waved us off, bashful of the compliments and his new title.

I guess Malfoy totally ignored Hagrid's directions, because he shoved people out of the way, sauntered up to Buckbeak, and out of sheer stupidity he sneered, "Yeah, you're not dangerous at all, are you? You great ugly brute!" Not only did not bow down, he did the _one thing_ you're _never_ supposed to do when dealing with hippogriffs: insult them. _Moron! You gonna get yourself killed! _I thought. Buckbeak immediately reared and bucked up, scratching that idiot with his talons. Hagrid stepped in between them and fed Buckbeak another one of those dead furry animals. "Oh, it's killed me! It's killed me!" Malfoy cried. "Calm down, it's just a scratch," Hagrid tried to reason with him. "Hagrid!" Hermione shouted and came to him. "He has to be taken to the hospital!" "I'm the teacher, I'll do it," Hagrid resolved and picked up Malfoy bridal-style. "You're gonna regret this. You and your bloody chicken," Malfoy moaned. "Class dismissed!" Hagrid called over his shoulder. As Hagrid walked towards the castle, Buckbeak nipped at my hair and nudged me. "I don't blame ya, Buckbeak. That moron completely deserved what you did," I said and began to pet him. Harry stroked his beak, earning a grateful squawk from the hippogriff.


End file.
